The Bar School

Vermont · Updated Oct 2026

How to become a bartender in Vermont

Mandatory server training required by the state before your first shift

Vermont doesn't require a bartender license, just state-approved server training, and that won't teach you the job. Here's your path from zero experience to your first shift, plus the rules and pay to know.

Quick answer

Vermont doesn't issue a bartender license. The bar or restaurant holds the liquor license, which the town's control commissioners grant with the state's approval. You must be 18 or older to serve or bartend. Learn the job first, then complete state-approved server training before your first shift.

Start step 1: learn to bartendBar Ready · 100% online · $197 one-time

Your path

5 steps to bartending in Vermont

  1. Learn to bartend

    Take Bar Ready online: tools, pours, spirits, cocktails, service and how to get hired.

  2. Earn your certificates

    Watch every lesson in full to unlock each course's certificate of completion in your dashboard. It shows employers you trained. It isn't a license.

  3. Complete server training

    Complete the state's alcohol server training before your first shift, online, in person or with a state-certified trainer at work. Renew it every 2 years.

    See local rules ↓

  4. Go apply

    Put your training and certificates on your resume and apply to bars and restaurants near you.

  5. Start pouring

    Pour, serve and earn tips. In Vermont, tipped staff get at least $7.21/hr, and tips must bring them to $14.42/hr.

Vermont rules

Vermont bartending rules at a glance

License

Vermont doesn't issue a bartender license. The bar or restaurant holds the liquor license, which the town's control commissioners grant with the state's approval.

7 V.S.A. §221

Training

Everyone who sells or serves alcohol must complete state-approved training before they start and retake it every 2 years. You can take the Department of Liquor and Lottery's online or in-person seminar, or your employer can train you in-house through a staff member certified as a trainer.

DLL Division of Liquor Control: Education 7 V.S.A. §213

Rules change. Last checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm with the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery, Division of Liquor Control and your employer before you apply.

Local rules

Where to check the rules

Age and training rules are the same across Vermont. Each town votes on whether to allow alcohol licenses, and the town's control commissioners approve each bar's license.

7 V.S.A. §201 7 V.S.A. §221

State alcohol agency

Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery, Division of Liquor Control

The agency that licenses and regulates alcohol sales in Vermont.

Open the official website

Your employer can also tell you which rules apply where you'll work.

Pay

How much do bartenders make in Vermont?

Median hourly$21.85$45,450 a year
Average hourly$24.89$51,780 a year
Top 10% earn more than$43.94$91,400 a year
Bartenders employed2,080May 2025 estimate
Tipped base pay$7.21/hrTips must bring you to $14.42/hr

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (Vermont, Bartenders 35-3011) and U.S. DOL state tipped wage table. BLS wages include tips reported by employers. What you earn depends on the venue, your shifts and your location, and isn't guaranteed.

I'm ready to get startedStep 1: Bar Ready · 100% online · $197 one-time

Jobs

Where to find bartending jobs in Vermont

Open bartender listings near you on Indeed. Barback and server openings are worth a look too: they're a common way behind the bar.

Behind the bar at The Bar School, answering whether the course is a license
Is this a license to bartend?1:33

The question we hear most

Is Bar Ready a Vermont bartending license?

  • No, and Vermont doesn't issue one. The venue holds the alcohol license, not the bartender.
  • Server training is required in Vermont. See step 3 above for the deadline.
  • Each course ends with a certificate of completion. It shows employers you trained, but it isn't a license or a state certification.

Questions people ask

Becoming a bartender in Vermont: your questions, answered

Do you need a license to be a bartender in Vermont?

Vermont doesn't issue a bartender license. The bar or restaurant holds the liquor license, which the town's control commissioners grant with the state's approval. You can learn the job first, then check whether your employer wants server training.

7 V.S.A. §221

How old do you have to be to bartend in Vermont?

You must be 18 or older to work as a bartender mixing or pouring drinks, or as a server bringing alcohol to customers. Employers can set a higher minimum age, so check with the bar.

7 V.S.A. §221(e) 7 V.S.A. §223(e)

Do you need TIPS or ServSafe certification to bartend in Vermont?

Everyone who sells or serves alcohol must complete state-approved training before they start and retake it every 2 years. You can take the Department of Liquor and Lottery's online or in-person seminar, or your employer can train you in-house through a staff member certified as a trainer.

DLL Division of Liquor Control: Education 7 V.S.A. §213

How much do bartenders make in Vermont?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025), Vermont bartenders earned a median of $21.85 an hour and a mean of $24.89 an hour ($51,780 a year), including tips reported by employers. The top 10% earned more than $43.94 an hour. Employers can pay tipped staff $7.21 an hour if tips bring them to at least $14.42 an hour; if not, the employer makes up the difference. Pay varies by venue, shifts and location.

BLS U.S. DOL state tipped wage table

Can I get a bartending job in Vermont with no experience?

Experience is up to each employer, but you'll need your state-approved server training too. Learning the fundamentals first, and being able to show you finished training, helps you stand out when you apply. That's what step 1 is for.

Where can I find bartending jobs in Vermont?

Search job boards like Indeed for bartender, barback and server openings in your city, check the websites and social pages of bars you'd like to work at, and drop off a resume in person when it's quiet. Barback and server jobs are a common way in. Ski towns such as Stowe and Killington hire extra staff for winter, and many tourist towns get busy again in summer and during fall foliage season.

Find jobs by city ↑

Do you have to go to bartending school in Vermont?

No. Vermont doesn't require bartending school. The state-approved server training is about serving alcohol safely and legally; it doesn't teach you to make drinks or work a bar. An online course lets you learn the tools, pours, cocktails and service at your own pace.

Does The Bar School offer job placement?

No. We don't place students in jobs. Bar Ready shows you what the job involves and how to get hired, with a resume guide and template and what to expect when you apply. Then you apply to bars and restaurants near you.

How long does it take to become a bartender in Vermont?

Bar Ready is self-paced, so you go as fast as your schedule allows. After that, timing depends on how long it takes to get your state-approved server training and the jobs near you.

Is the Bar School certificate a Vermont license or TIPS certification?

No. Your Bar School certificates of completion, one for each Bar Ready course, show employers you finished our training. They aren't a government license or permit, and they don't replace TIPS, ServSafe or any state or local requirement.

Ready to start bartending in Vermont?

Step 1 is learning the job. Start Bar Ready online today, at your own pace.

Start step 1: learn to bartend

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